Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Consider: The code also applies to endolymphatic and labyrinthine hydrops.

A vestibular function test's main purpose is to determine if something is wrong with the vestibular portion of the patient's inner ear. Sometimes these tests alone can accurately identify inner ear disorders, including Ménière's disease (386.00, Ménière's disease unspecified). This condition is characterized by fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo resulting from nonsuppurative disease of the labyrinth; swelling of the endolymph-containing structures is the main pathologic finding.

When ICD-9-CM becomes ICD-10-CM in October 2013, mycoses will be classified using the code H81.09 (Meniere's disease, unspecified ear).

ICD difference: ICD-10 H81.09 will keep the same descriptor as its ICD-9 counterpart. ICD-10 H81.09 derives from its parent code H81.0 (Ménière's disease) the applicability to labyrinthine hydrops, and Ménière's syndrome or vertigo. Besides H81.09, three other codes under H81.0 describe this condition in greater detail.

Coding example: An otolaryngologist refers a patient to an audiology clinic to test for endolymphatic hydrops. The audiologist performs electrocochleography to evaluate the patient, and under diagnosis, she writes "endolymphatic hydrops, cochleovestibular." In this case, that will be the reason for the visit and will warrant the code H81.09 as diagnosis.

In the ICD-9 index, if you locate the term "hydrops", you will find 782.3 (Edema) next to it. Don't report this code. Instead, you should search further, particularly the indented list below hydrops for better options. Doing this will lead you to your best choice: "endolymphatic" or 386.00.